We stole those two chairs, plus four of their brethren from the dining room for extra party seating (they’re outdoor chairs from Target) – and seeing the space filled up with all that temporary/borrowed/mismatched furniture really got us craving some more permanent pieces out there. And so the hunt for an outdoor sofa began.

We figured that buying the biggest piece first would help us determine what other items we’ll need to fill things out. And since we already have on the deck, we thought a cushy lounge area in the shade of the sunroom-turned-veranda was in order. We knew we wanted that woven wicker look over something wooden or metal (we both fell hard for the Arhaus furniture at the showhouse, but it was more than we wanted to spend). We also wanted Sunbrella fabric, which we hear is super durable and long-lasting, so here are a few of the things we checked out:

1. We liked the look of , but we heard from a few friends with similar sofas that two-piece or three-piece bases can drift apart, so we’d rather have a sofa that’s all one piece. We did like that it came with Sunbrella fabric, and we appreciated that it was on sale, although it was still $2,222.

2. This Pottery Barn couch looked amazing to us. So luxe and cushy. When we first saw it, it was selling for around $2,000 I think – but it was $399 more to upgrade to Sunbrella fabric – and now it’s no longer available. Womp.

3. This is another that’s still available, but the $1,400 version (pictured above) is more of a loveseat. Our space would need the larger $1,800 option, but neither of them came with Sunbrella fabric, which was an additional upcharge of $300+.

4. We saw for $489 (so much cheaper than the others!) with a really promising 4.5 star rating. I excitedly read about how much people loved it… but then I discovered the one star reviews from people who had theirs for more than one season. Apparently the wicker fell apart after one summer of use for a number of people. Another womp.

5. We’ve seen in the showroom and it’s gorgeous! But the fact that it’s sold without any cushions (it’s $1500 for the wicker part and an additional $555 for the Sunbrella cushions) was kind of a bummer.

6. We had also been eying since hearing awesome things about the brand (Brown Jordan) having a really well made product. It comes with a 15 year frame warranty, a 5 year fabric warranty, and free white-glove shipping (they carry it wherever you want it and unwrap it/place it for you). We also appreciated the $1,399 price tag and the fact that it comes standard with Sunbrella fabric.

While on our little sofa hunt, we also checked places like Craigslist, Joss & Main, Overstock, Hayneedle, and Wayfair but didn’t see anything we liked as much. We really appreciated being able to see as many of our options in person as we could – just to make sure they were comfortable, not too low to the ground, and the fabric wasn’t scratchy. In fact, when we stumbled upon a floor model of the Home Depot/Brown Jordan option (technically it was the chair from that set) it pushed us over the edge. It was comfortable and it looked great in person. Boom, this guy was on his way to our house:

Although the price is nothing to sneeze at, we hope that it’ll be a nice long-lasting choice for us, which is the goal with the sunroom (there’s no Phase 2 out there). Its arrival should be the kick-start to some other updates that we’ve meaning to get going on back there, like making a coffee table, installing some sconces for lighting/ambiance, adding an outdoor-friendly table to fill out the other side of the space, and introducing some finishing touches (potted plants, side tables, etc).

Until then, you can find me standing in the driveway holding an adorable baby and waiting for the delivery truck. Really, I need to calm down.

We were just talking about that. I think we might bring it up into the storage room and organize that space (and use the top of the daybed for laying things out like pillows or linens) in the hopes that when we make that a bunk-room someday we can use it somehow.

You made a good choice. Outdoor furniture is astonishingly expensive and the price is good for a quality piece, as you discovered. We just bought two new chairs with really nice, thick cushions; they were priced at more than 50 percent off and it was still $1300 for the pair. We don’t spend as much on some of our indoor furniture as we do on the outside stuff!

LOL, ur 2 funny although I would be right there on the driveway keeping you and Teddy company! Nice choice, I really like the style of that one over the others. We just purchased a wicker rocker (for me) and swivel chair (for the hubs) for our screened-in porch and even though it was a significant purchase, every time I sit down to read and rock and the hubs is contentedly swiveling back and forth, I know we made the right choice!

This is probably a silly question, but does anyone have any advice/experience to share about how you keep the cushions clean? We have a similar set from World Market from a few years ago. We leave it out all summer, and anytime we would go out to use them, we’d find that the exposure to dust and moisture in the air from being outside would leave them a little to dusty to sit on.

So, I would have to clean it a day ahead of time, but then the cushion covers are SO hard to get on and off that it was such a task.

It all seems so high maintenance to me that I must be missing something…right?

Anyone have advice for Bridget? I think we’re planning to hose ours off and lay the cushions out in the sun to dry when it’s pollen season and we also hope that having them under an awning will help to keep things cleaner.

I wonder if you could just flip the cushions over when you want to use them. The bottom would be less dusty and then the dust would fall off of them when they’re upside down so they’re ready for the next flip? Or covers maybe? That seems a hassle too.

We definitely flip them over for a quick fix! Otherwise hose or low pressure, pressure washer and leave in the sun to dry as Sherry suggested. I’ve also seen people leave beach towels/fabric/plastic over them when they are not being used. If they are going to get wet (color from fabric/towels might bleed) a clear plastic may be your best bet.

You should definitely buy an outdoor cover for them! They sell ones very similar to bbq covers, and while they almost certainly don’t last for years (try a year or 2), they will get the dirt and sun damage instead of your fancy patio set. The hassle is about 30 seconds of pulling it off and smashing it under the chair or in a box to hide it. My parents wicker set has lasted years looking awesome because of the covers!

I use my hand held dust pan brush to brush off the cushions of my outdoor seats. A lot if my friends also have a storage bin outside which would be good for long term care. They only take them out when needed.

I realized (too late) that I should have been doing the flip technique from the start. The underside of the cushion is still in good condition. But it also has the visible zipper and 2 velcro tabs to attach the the bench frame, which look a little funky when facing upwards.

We have an outdoor sectional and bought a 150-gallon waterproof storage box (which can also be used to sit on) at Sam’s club and we keep all the cushions in there during the week. We’re at work all week and don’t really use the outdoor space much, then on the weekends when we’re out there or have people over we take them out. It’s the BEST way to keep them from getting dirty, looking worn, dull, etc. We live in FL so we use it year round, we have to do it this way or they wouldn’t last more than a few months.

My mom has always flipped the seat cushion up so it would lean against the back cushion when inclement weather was headed our way and keeps the seat pretty dry for the most part – less surface area exposed to the rain. We live in central Illinois in the middle of a sea of corn and can rain pretty hard here since there isn’t much to block the wind.

Sherry – I was like you and shopped For-Freaking-Ever (over a year) for a 3 person sofa arrangement watching deals and sales to see when the best time to buy was. We just got ours last week from Target – the belvedere Collection – at 20% off with 2 chairs (all costing around $860). I couldn’t believe how costly outdoor furniture is either. Can’t wait to see the rest – I loved the outdoor living at the showhouse! Hope u can sneak a good nap in soon – I’ve totally been there my son didn’t sleep well the first 18mo of his life either – hang in there!

We have Sunbrella cushions for our outdoor chairs on our screened porch that get covered in pollen each Spring. I’ve found that using a Swiffer or a dry microfiber cloth works the best and the dust/dirt/pollen comes right off. We leave them outside all winter and they still look great (this is the third season with this set).

Bridget b – have you tried flipping them over to the side you don’t want up when not using the set and then flipping them to the side you do when you decide to use them? I do this with the cushions for my adirondack chairs and they look great. I also give them a quick sweep with a dust broom just to make sure there aren’t any spider webs on them.

Maybe I’m just crazy, but I keep all of our outdoor cushions and pillows in our mud room when we are not using them (my mom did the same!). Our current set are three years old and look brand new, and it only takes a second to set them up outside when needed.

Bridget, I used Clorox Clean Up with Bleach on mine and they came out beautiful. My cushions are a print and they were so dirty I fugured I had nothing to lose. I’ve used this method for 2 seasons so far and have been happy with the results! The cushions take a few days to dry in the sun but if you try to use as little water as possible (just let it run off the cushion held on end)then sqeeze/press out as much water as you can and dry on end. This link is the link I got the idea from!

You will love Your BJ sofa! We have 2 of their lounge chairs sitting in direct sun for 4+ hours a day. We’ve had them for 4 years now and they still look brand new. And we bought them off Craigslist, so who knows what the previous owners did to them. Great quality!!

Love your posts! Just wondering if you looked at the options from World Market or not? They are also significantly cheaper, but just curious if that was on your radar or not. Thanks (and keep up the great work!)

We checked out some of those (they looked cute!) but read some reviews about the back feeling low and the cushions being sub-par, and they don’t come with Sunbrella fabric which was one of our goals. We really wanted to resist the urge to cheap out and have to buy something twice (the warranty on the one we got was just too good to pass up). I’m LIVING FOR their outdoor egg chair though. Might have to convince John….

My father bought us a set for our wedding from Target – brown wicker – two chairs, love seat, ottoman and coffee table 10 years ago (wow) and it still looks awesome. I am only replacing cushions this year bc of the damn squirrels eating the stuffing!

I spent a ridiculous amount of time early this summer researching outdoor furniture options as well! I feel your pain as each piece is either ridiculously expensive or a great price but with an unknown wearability factor. I ended up ordering a bunch of separate pieces from Target to create one [email protected] sectional. I liked that the Target pieces had arm chairs to match the sectional and a dining set to match too. It was amazing how many places didn’t sell a set with all those coordinating pieces. Hope you love the sofa and lots of nights outside!

Great choice, it’s a beauty. For those that need even cheaper options and are handy, has many plans for outdoor furniture. The cushions are always the most expensive, but it’s still a cheaper option, especially if you can find them on sale or a good deal at Costco like I did. ;)

I just love how your deck looked at the party! Such a nice outdoor space for entertaining and the sofa is really going to be so nice! We’ll be breaking ground on our deck soon and I just hope it is done in time to have a 3 year old’s birthday party out there by the end of August.

I don’t know why they’re so expensive. They’re like made of plastic! I need some new patio furniture, too. I watch Costco’s inventory though it seems like you guys don’t shop there. Which surprises me, given how good for the thrift-conscious Costco is.

Actually I have disagree on the idea that anything from Costco/sams club/Bj’s is cheaper than stuff you would buy from regular store like target. Its really a big marketing ploy. Just because we get huge boxes doesn’t mean its cheap. If you compare ounce to cost ratio , most items are the same price as the regular store. Sure maybe you get certain items at a better pirce. But to me its not worth paying their membership price annually. They also force you buy only certain brands that they carry. Especially sams club is the worst when it comes to carrying healthier/organic options. I actually get much cheaper deals for groceries and other stuff from target. They have tons of stuff out on clearance regularly and if you use their cartwheel app you get a real good deal. I hope more people look into the actual cost/oz and compare it to their local store and then decide if its worth buying their membership at all.

I do look at the price per oz and you are right that not everything is cheaper. For us, though, the things we buy are a lot cheaper at Costco. As for the membership cost, there are some things that pretty much make up for it. If you get a few bigger items a year you usually come out on top from that alone. If you have allergy sufferers in your family, their generic allergy meds make up for the membership (~$15-$30 for a year supply of generic zyrtec, allegra, or claritin) and then some. And if you like printed photos for $20 you can get 2 high quality leather photo albums that come with a coupon for 100 free prints.

Jane, I’d have to respectfully disagree about Costco. Not only is it more cost efficient (check out Mr Money Mustache’s breakdown, for example: ), Costco carries TONS of healthy and organic options. Maybe if you buy lots of packaged and processed food, Target would be cheaper, but if you’re into whole unprocessed foods, Costco wins, hands down. Not to mention Costco is one of the most ethical companies to buy from. From a purely moral standpoint, it’s much better to shop at Costco rather than Sam’s Club or Target, which both have terrible track records.

And Sherry, you guys should definitely check out your local Costco – not only is it only 5 minutes up the road (it’s the one we shop at), it has tons of organic bulk pantry items, and organic meat, dairy, fruits and veggies. We cook pretty much everything from scratch, and between Costco and our farmer’s market, we have everything covered.

whoops! meant to also say that quite often the quality of items at Costco is usually much better in comparison to price. They are picky about what they sell and they stand behind it, you can return anything for any reason. That alone is worth the price of membership.

My husband and I shop at Costco all the time. We find that the money we save on the coffee (whole bean) we buy there pays for our membership alone. We also save a ton on organic quinoa, organic spinach, organic spring lettuce, hummus, and ground turkey- all staples in our house. As long as you’re not easily distracted by all the pre-cooked packaged food you can find some really great deals. However, in looking at furniture and appliances, they’re not really any cheaper.

The Costco in Northern VA has seriously upped their game! I was so surprised. We eat organic and gluten free and now go about once a month to load up on organic spinach/lettuce & carrots for salads, organic brown eggs & fruit juices, greek yogurt, Amy’s soups, almond butter, and organic antibiotic/hormone-free frozen ground beef, chicken breast, and ground lamb. It’s become much more affordable than Whole Foods for us, but I hear each region differs.

I do agree about costco and definitely agree that for certain items it may be the way to go.Its definitely MUCH better than Sams club I can vouch for that. As for us , no we hardly ever buy any pre-packaged foods! I am an Indian and we COOK everyday :-) We have had membership in the past and found that brands we like seventh generation dishwasher gel,Dr bronners soap etc are not available there. So it did not make sense for us to go there.

Are you sure you aren’t confusing costco with sam’s club? We’ve lived all over the country, including right down the road from Richmond, and every costco we’ve shopped has a great selection of fresh/organic/whole food at better prices (mostly) than we can find elsewhere. How you define healthy might make a difference in price perception, though, as I’ve never shopped the processed, pantry type stuff. It’s funny that everyone’s definition of healthy is so different! I never realized you guys were health/organic conscious based on what you’ve posted about food or what’s in your kitchen, so it might just be that costco would not be a value for what you typically buy, but you should definitely check it out if you haven’t been lately! And the previous posters are right–they have some great deals on home stuff!

Thanks Ashley! We went to Costco but it was a few years ago with John’s parents and we couldn’t find things like Larabars or Amy’s brand stuff or the organic yogurt Clara loved (YoBaby) and there wasn’t as much organic milk, meat, and produce as we had at Kroger, but it sounds like we need to check it out again!

Some of their items do vary regionally, although not much (based on shopping in VA, WA, CA, TX, FL, and even Korea!). Our organic staples that we’ve been able to find at every Costco we’ve been to are milk, veggies (frozen and fresh), fruit (especially berries), peanut butter, jam, cheese, eggs, beef (although not grass fed), yogurt, chicken, sustainably sourced seafood, quinoa, and baking supplies like sugar, flour, EVOO, spices, etc. We buy organic dates to make homemade Larabars, but have also bought packages of them there.

They do have some of the processed organic junk food type stuff (Amy’s Organic Burritos, Amy’s Cheddar Bunnies, Clif Bars, etc), but most of what we buy is real food, so I don’t know how good the savings is on that sort of thing. They will let you in to browse, and it makes a decent outing with kids on a rainy day.

I think with Costco, if you’re completely brand loyal and really want really specific processed foods (like Amy’s or YoBaby) it may not be a good fit, because they don’t have every brand. BUT, if you’re interested in buying things like organic quinoa or chia seeds in bulk, or just basics like organic eggs, milk and meat, then it’s fantastic. Also, things like pomegranates – when they are in season, you can get a six pack very cheaply at Costco. I’ll buy a couple packs, remove and freeze the seeds, and then we have frozen pomegranate seeds to last us all year (for a fraction of the cost of, say, Trader Joe’s frozen pomegranate seeds). And things like toilet paper – I couldn’t care less about brands, so I buy the cheapest generic TP from Costco in bulk and it’s much cheaper. So it works really well if you make all your food from scratch, and want to take the time to make things freeze or store them. If you use a lot of convenience foods, it may not be cheaper.

I have a feeling that the value of Costco depends on the kinds of things you tend to buy and might be a bigger savings for some people vs. others depending on the kinds of thing you buy.

One thing that can be helpful is to tag along with a friend who has a membership to check out the membership and the prices of the things you might buy. We tend to use ours for the meat and fish we eat regularly because the prices do seem substantially better than anywhere else for similar quality. It’s also worth it to me for the gas alone. There often seems to be a significant price different between Costco and local gas stations. But again, I think it also comes down to personality and what you buy. I’m pretty good about restraining myself to only buying the things I’d buy anyway if they weren’t in bulk, I can see where you’d get yourself into trouble if you shopped impulsively.

We were getting ready to order cushions and build the Ana White Simple out door sofa ( ) but I am worried that in a couple years I will still be lusting after the wicker couch and regret our DIY choice. Now you just made it harder to pull the trigger on ordering the cushions! ;)

Thanks for the heads up about Jordan Brown. We’ve been searing for an outdoor sectional in sunbrella fabric, but there are so many options at so many price points that is causes my head to hurt. I hope you’ll update us on how this one holds up.

Will do! We already heard from two Brown Jordan owners in the comments (one with the exact same Home Depot sofa from last year, and another with a set they’ve had for years) and they both still look great! Hope we have the same luck with ours!

We ordered that exact same sofa I think in the sparrow fabric. We ordered it April 7 and we still have not received it. We ordered the coffee table and received that one right away. I would love to know when you placed your order and when you actually receive it. Did the estimated time frame window have dates that were soon?

Did you get a tracking number in your email? We got an email saying “this is backordered” and then a few days later got an email that said “your order is on the way” with a tracking number (although it seems to be taking forever to get to Richmond since leaving the warehouse). Maybe check for that tracking number or call Home Depot? I wonder if the Sparrow fabric is more backordered or something? Hope it comes soon!

When Our delivery date came and we never received any word about our order we called and were told that we should’ve been notified that it was placed as backordered immediately after we made our purchase. We had to get Sparrow fabric since ours will be exposed to the elements completely and it definitely has a longer time frame for delivery

I worked in the retail furniture industry for a number of years and we carried Sunbrella fabric for indoor and outdoor use. As I recall the fabric was treated to reduce dirt, fading and mildew, so you might want to check the manufacturer’s website before you do more than dry brush or vacuum. I know you want to keep your new sofa looking great for years to come! Wish I had a patio, too……

This is a great choice, especially since you have that covered area to protect the wicker more! I would worry that it wouldn’t hold up and would hold moisture too much if it was put directly in the elements. This outdoor room is seriously awesome!

Man – I guess I hadn’t looked seriously at any nice outdoor furniture as of late, cause that is really expensive! :) Good for you guys, it’s going to feel great to have some really high quality, nice furniture out there!

I’m jealous. I want an outdoor sofa but I can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on it. I’m glad you guys were able to go with something you love and will last you a long time, but part of me is sad it wasn’t a DIY fix that I could follow :( …. lol

Love the choice. We have the Rolston set from target on our back deck – we’ve had it for 3 years and the wicker is still perfect. There is no overhang on our deck, so we do put covers on the chairs and loveseat over the winter and whenever we remember when it rains and it is still a beautiful set!

Love that! I have some tear sheets from magazines with curtains! My only question is if anyone has tried it and if they get mildew-y or dusty and look dirty. I’d love to do breezy white ones but only if they’re not too much maintenance…

I bought Ikea Lill curtains for $3.99/pair to keep bugs off my porch when I sat outside (Maryland mosquitos are horrible). The curtains are pretty gauzy and thin so they seem to dry quickly and not trap dirt, but look really nice on my covered patio. I’ve only had them up for a month or so, but they seem to be holding up. Plus I could buy about the 8 pairs of lill curtains I needed for the price of one “real” outdoor curtain. The curtains are 98″ long, which was what I needed.

Good Morning!!… I just adore your home AND ya’lls lil family!!! I recently made a dog bed out of pallets and would love to share photos with ya’ll. Could be a fun project and Burger can help too. :) Details: it is a large bed that resembles a sofa and i used a white wash for color and finished with finishing wax to protect it.

We just got an awesome sunbrella fabric set at Sam’s Club. $1600 for the couch, 2 chairs w/ ottomans and granite coffee table. It is super sturdy and even more comfy! I plan on spending a lot of time relaxing with some lemonade while watching my crazy 19 month old run around like a wild woman!

That info’s hiding in the post for you, but after seeing the wicker Arhaus sofa at the showhouse we were both completely in love with that look and didn’t want to settle for a wood or metal frame when wicker was our preference. We definitely considered building something though. Ana White has awesome tutorials!

Just curious about your water table? I think I see 2 different ones on your deck — what are the brands? and do you like one more than the other? Have been searching for awhile and have not been able to make a decision.

@ Bridget. Before replacing my 15 year old cushions ( left out year round and enjoyed by the dogs), I decided to try to clean them because they were such great quality. I used a combination of vinegar, blue Dawn dish soap and baking soda. I gave it a good scrubbing and let it sit for 20 minutes and rinsed. The result was amazing. It really works.

Now, if you knew me in person, you’d know I am lovingly brutally honest… God love ya, but if you choose to bed your child down the hall, where you have to wake up, walk down to tend to him, then it seems ironic to complain of no sleep. At this point of the game I would think a little transition down the road would be minor to his apparent needs at this age. Give it a try. My boys were both co-slept with for months. No one is deranged, still in our bed, clingy or flattened. Give yourself a break already and give it a try. Ya don’t even have to tell anyone.

Wow, that seemed unnecessary. John and Sherry – you are awesome parents and if you’re tired, then you can be honest about that here. I hope the new outdoor sofa is comfy enough that you can sneak a nap or two on it. The covered patio is shaping up to be awesome. I’ve been working on my patio for the past few weekends.

I completely agree Penny. i am German and am a mom of two (2.5 and 6 months) and while my bigger son slept in his bed next to me until he was one, the transition into his own room was super easy. I still breastfeed my baby and therefore am glad to have him next to me, I can sleep again instantly after putting him back. The idea of having my husband wake up for me, get me the baby and then bring it back seems. Insane. I let my husband sleep through since he cannot help me breastfeed anyway – and he works fulltime and has to get up early. I think it is very uncommon here in Germany to have your baby sleep in another room, I know so many mothers and not one did not cosleep. After all it is also the advice against SIDS and it makes cameras, monitors and all that stuff in a nursery unnecessary.

yes i agree – unnecessary. let’s not pass judgement on parenting here – john and sherry you guys are kind enough to share your lives with us, so thanks. you really don’t need to be made to feel bad about anything. we all know you are doing your best. and ps having an infant (and infant plus toddler no less!) is exhausting no matter what the sleeping arrangement. anyone who thinks differently just doesn’t remember. and pps you guys always keep it real, and that’s why we love you!

I think you can trust J&S to parent their own baby. I never co-slept with my son (because I actually do know someone who lost a baby that way, its rare but it does happen) and it worked out great for us. I would never co-sleep.

On the other hand, I have a friend right now who does co-sleep, and has been complaining on Facebook how she and her husband are exhausted, because their baby (now over a year old) climbs all over them all night, and has never slept through the night since she was born.

Does that mean co-sleeping is wrong for everyone? Nope, obviously it worked for you. But its not right for everyone either.